20- and 30-MHz Waveform Generators
The 33500B Series waveform generator family includes eight one- and two-channel models that generate waveforms up to 30 MHz and incorporates the vendor’s Trueform signal-generation technology. With total harmonic distortion less than 0.04% and nonharmonic spurs less than 75 dBc, the 33500B Series offers clean signals that do not introduce noise, 8.4-ns rise and fall times, low jitter to allow engineers to set trigger points more accurately, and 16 bits of resolution to assist in making output changes down to 1 µV.
In addition to point-by-point arbitrary waveforms, the 33500B Series offers features including waveform summing and combining capability, variable-bandwidth noise capability, waveform sequencing, pseudo-random binary sequence pattern generation, and an optional baseband IQ player. From $1,650 for a one-channel 20-MHz model. Agilent Technologies
Logic Analyzer Family
The TLA6400 Series of portable logic analyzers combines high performance and affordability. The instruments are available in 34-, 68-, 102-, and 136-channel configurations and come with 25-GS/s high-speed timing resolution, up to 64-Mb record length, and the company’s iCapture functionality. The TLA6400 also can capture buses with clock rates up to 667 MHz and data rates up to 1,333 Mb/s.
The TLA6400 Series further enhances engineering productivity with a variety of features: iCapture multiplexing, which eliminates double probing with simultaneous digital and analog acquisition through a single logic analyzer probe; glitch trigger and storage, which allows users to trigger on and display observed signal integrity faults; and iView, which provides seamless integration between the TLA6400 and more than 100 of the vendor’s oscilloscopes. From $11,600. Tektronix
Electrical Safety Compliance Analyzers
Five new models in the OMNIA II line of electrical safety compliance analyzers include Model 8254, a 4-in-1 electrical safety compliance analyzer that performs AC hipot (500 VA), DC hipot, 40-A ground bond, and insulation resistance testing; Model 8206, a 6-in-1 analyzer that performs AC hipot, DC hipot, 40-A ground bond, insulation resistance, functional run, and line leakage testing; Model 8256, which adds 500-VA test functionality to model 8206; Model 8207, a 7-in-1 instrument that performs AC hipot, DC hipot, 40-A ground bond, insulation resistance, functional run, and line leakage testing while adding a built-in 500-VA AC power source; and Model 8257, which adds 500-VA test functionality to the 8207.
OMNIA II features an 800 x 480 color TFT display. Color-coded test steps indicate pass/fail conditions, and users also can choose from four different color schemes to match their preferences. From $9,995 to $15,695. Associated Research
HDMI Video and Audio Capture Card
The new HDV62A full HD HDMI video and audio capture card enables one-card acquisition of full analog/digital video and digital audio input. Featuring uncompressed full HD up to 1,080p at 60 fps, 10-bit resolution ADC, and HDCP (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) support, the HDV62A serves applications requiring simultaneous capture from both video and audio signals such as multimedia device testing and medical imaging.
The HDV62A delivers uncompressed high-definition video data from DVI or HDMI and provides an analog video decoder that supports RGB, NTSC/PAL, S-video, and YPbPr with an integrated audio decoder for HDMI and S/PDIF capture. In addition, the HDV62A is compatible with HDCP, securing critical user data during transmission.
The HDV62A is equipped with the company’s ViewCreator Pro utility, enabling system testing and debugging with no software programming required. It is compatible with Microsoft DirectShow. Driver support is provided for Windows 7/Vista/XP, and third-party software support accommodates NI LabVIEW. ADLINK Technology
RFIU Switch System Family
The Racal Instruments 1257A RF Interface Units (RFIUs) represent the vendor’s sixth-generation switch system family. The units are scalable and modular in sizes from 1U to 6U and with a range of customization options. Containing industry-standard interfaces, a rich SCPI command set, and IVI drivers, the RFIUs are easy to use and compatible with most software environments. In addition, all units include relay counters to monitor end of life, so the user will know when the relays need to be replaced.
The 1257A-1 through 1257A-4 high-density, front-pluggable COTS switch systems offer a variety of topologies. For example, the 1U version accommodates up to 12 front-pluggable, nonterminated RF relays with choices from among dual SPDTs, transfer switches, SP4Ts, and SP6Ts at frequencies up to 18 GHz. The 2U through 4U versions can house terminated or nonterminated relays with frequencies up to 40 GHz. The 1257-D development versions of the system are intended for in-house development as a potential cost-saving mechanism.
The vendor also can build the 1257A-C to the user’s specifications, including full documentation. With this unit, the user receives a secure, personalized website to monitor project progress, obtain project status and preliminary documentation, and download instrument drivers that enable him or her to begin coding immediately. EADS North America Test and Services
Vertical MEMS Probe Card
The vertical Vx MEMS Probe Cards now provide a current-carrying capability (CCC) of >1 A per probe in 90-µm-pitch full-grid array configurations. The enhanced CCC makes the probe card more robust to transient high-current events, a benefit that drives higher wafer test-cell uptime and better overall wafer test efficiency. The CCC performance enables customers to shrink IC probe pitches well below today’s 130- to 150-µm standard.
The enhanced CCC solves a problem commonly seen in aggressive SoC test regimes: Actual transient current flowing through a single probe often exceeds the steady-state average current expected from a given IC design. This imbalance can cause that single probe to burn, forcing a test-cell shutdown for probe card maintenance to replace the burnt probe. As probe pitches follow Moore’s law-like trajectories and shrink below 90 µm, the CCC challenges intensify due to the smaller available probe cross section.
The VxTM MEMS-based probes also enable the necessary pitch shrinks to achieve sub-90-µm grid arrays; a composite (multi-material) probe structure allows for independent optimization of probe metallurgy choices for both electrical and mechanical characteristics; and a heterogeneous array option allows for mixed probe choices to test different parts of the chip. Microprobe
eICIC Support for Mobile Test Platform
TM500 LTE-A Test Mobile, which supports all the key LTE-A features of 3GPP Release 10, is the latest update to the TM500 Test Mobile platform. The TM500 includes support for enhanced Inter Cell Interference Cancellation (eICIC), and functionality for testing carrier aggregation was added to the TM500 platform earlier this year. eICIC is an enhanced inter-cell interference coordination technique specifically designed to improve the overall performance of heterogeneous network (HetNet) deployments, and it is one of the major features specified for LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) in 3GPP Release 10. The main application of eICIC is to improve cell edge performance and coverage in HetNet deployment scenarios where nodes of different types—macro-, micro- and picocells—have coverage areas that partially overlap.
This latest enhancement to the TM500 Test Mobile platform allows engineers developing and testing LTE base stations (eNodeB) to integrate and validate the eICIC feature and verify the advantages of heterogeneous deployments. The TM500’s support for eICIC measurements, which applies to both FDD and TDD, includes logging the eICIC specific protocol messages and physical-layer measurements. Aeroflex